Saturday, December 28, 2013

Anthropo-what?

I used to have a roommate who was a psychologist.  She told me that I anthropomorphize a lot.

an·thro·po·mor·phize

[an-thruh-puh-mawr-fahyz]  
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), an·thro·po·mor·phized, an·thro·po·mor·phiz·ing.
to ascribe human form or attributes to (an animal, plant, material object, etc.).

I forgot to ask if this is a bad thing.  Also, who cares? She never did it and I found that quite boring.  So I can translate what the rabbits are thinking by just looking at their facial expressions.  They aren't moving stuffed animals.  I never put batteries in them. Something must be going on in there.  I didn't say I thought they were human.  I just choose to believe they are thinking about something when they look at me.  They have feelings after all.  I know when they are scared, angry or hungry.  So I just put a voice to it.  Why I have decided that Squirtford's nose ends every sentence with "pellets pellets pellets" (always three times), well I don't know.  He likes pellets! So sometimes he looks at me and says "What are you doing? Let me out. pellets pellets pellets."  When I check my purse repeatedly for my keys and phone in the morning, he stares at me, clearly thinking "You have them!  You already checked!  Get out already!!!! pellets pellets pellets!"  Well, there's no need to yell but he does make a good point.


"Did somebody say pellets pellets pellets?"


McFlurry appears to just be thinking about escaping at all times, oh and snacks.  We have basically figured out all her escape routes so now she just stares at us. When she looks at my husband, I translate "Let me out.  I'll be good this time...I promise" but she is clearly lying.  Plus she stands up everytime he walks by and says something like "bananas?" "snack?" "escape?"  She just always wants stuff.  I don't know how I know.  I can't explain it.  Its just obvious!
"I'm dressed up so you might as well let me out.  I'll be back by ten."


Actually, I don't understand people who don't anthropomorphize.  They're missing out. 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Music as inspiration #3

Did somebody say Howard Jones?

This song was a big hit in 1985, so it's easy to not pay attention to the lyrics and just get caught up in the woah woahs.  However,  I am still a big fan of Things Can Only Get Better, all these years later and listen to it often.  Here's the video, (just the hair is fascinating, in itself):

Things Can Only Get Better video


You know how when a bunch of things go wrong and you think, nothing else could happen, things can only get better?  Well, that is a) totally not true (does anyone really think that, things can always be worse) and b) not what this song is talking about.  Oh and c) a really irritating thing for someone to say to you when things are going wrong and they are trying to "comfort" you.
So the song is interesting because it is really all about letting go of what holds you back and just going for it.  The best things in life are often hard to attain, full of risk, a scary path to walk down and not a sure thing.  Sometimes it is difficult to get to your goal but if you know your course, you can get there, as long as you keep your goal in mind.  Sometimes, however, you want something and you don't know if you can achieve it, even if you try your best.  It becomes tempting to not try because of the risk and your lack of control of outcomes.  Wouldn't it be easier to change your goals than to remain focused on something that is a "maybe"?  In the short term, not going for it may feel right but what about in the long run?  Regret is a hard pill to swallow and likely harder to swallow than trying and failing.  So regardless of outcome, sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind and go for it.  If it works, great and if it doesn't, there is comfort in knowing that you will never look back and say "I should have..."  "I was too afraid to...."  "I wish I had...." This is why I love the final paragraph of this song.  Sometimes when I don't know what to do, or am afraid to make a risky choice, I listen to this song and go for it.  Success or failure is out of my control but being afraid to take the chance, well, that is up to me.


Things Can Only Get Better

We're not scared to lose it all
Security throw through the wall
Future dreams we have to realize
A thousand skeptic hands
Won't keep us from the things we plan
Unless we're clinging to the things we prize

And do you feel scared - I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better
Whoa, whoa whoa whoa oh oh

Treating today as though it was
The last, the final show
Get to sixty and feel no regret
It may take a little time
A lonely path, an uphill climb
Success or failure will not alter it

And do you feel.....
Whoa whoa whoa whoah...

And do you feel...

PS This song has a recent remake (but without most of the great lyrics) but I guess this means there is a whole new generation dancing to this song!
Things Can Only Get Better Cedric Gervais and Howard Jones

Saturday, December 7, 2013

are you listening?

Today I had some time to wander around midtown Manhattan with a few million friends.  I do not like crowds and usually would just push my way through and try to get away from people but today, I had a mission for the blog.  Forget people watching, everyone was so close by, I could just go right in for people listening.  (Your welcome)  Wow, it is really easy to eavesdrop on 5th Avenue.  I heard so many gems that I had to stop and text myself so I could remember them all.
"There's the plaza hotel (true).  You know it looks like the capital building?" (????)
Looking at Cardier building "I bet this looks cool at night."  (correct)
Pregnant woman sitting on the ground next to her standing family.  "Do I look like a homeless person because someone just offered me a dollar?"  (Well, then the answer is yes, you do-PS please wash those pants).
While a thousand people crossed when we weren't supposed to (you can't prove I was one of them) "It's ok to cross because that bus is blocking the interesection." Car:  HONK!!!!  OK, I agree but thanks for rationalizing it. By the way, the whole way people cross the street here took me years to unlearn.  When I j-walked in Washington DC I got yelled at by a cop and when I do it in Florida, people tell me stories about people being killed j-walking.  I haven't completely unlearned it because I got told this last month.
Some random person "Are you STILL complaining?" haha, having a nice vacation?
"Next time I come here, we come at 6:30 in the morning!"  I hope others will follow her lead so that there will be less people there at midday.
"Aint nobody got time for that....oooh bling!!!!"  Human equivalent of the Up dog and "squirrel!"  I have no idea why she was saying that first part though but I would really like to know.
On the crowded 6 train:  Two guys talking about how many people there are here and in China.  "You know it is like this all the time in China.  They got millions of people there.  They all gotta walk like this (picture waddling like a penguin, while standing in place on a subway). Shit!"  hahaha, I just had to laugh out loud for that one, even if it is against the rules to look like you are looking or listening to anybody, once you bring in penguin waddling, it's fair game.
By the way, even though I wrote about people watching and people listening, please do not expect any of the rest of the 5 senses.  I try very hard not to smell, touch or taste strangers, even for the blog!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Read this while looking like you are not reading this.

While in NY, my husband told me to people watch.  I think I am not only people watching, I am also watching other people, people watching.  I haven't lived in NY for a long time now so I have forgotten the fundamental rules of public transportation: don't make eye contact, don't talk to anyone and don't react to anything.  I guess I didn't forget the rules since I just wrote them but I am not really all that good at following them anymore.  I had to train myself when I moved to Florida to look directly at people and say "good morning".  Now I have returned to my roots of watching people but looking like I am not watching them... Or possibly I think I look inconspicuous but really look like a stalker.  Whatever, I don't live here so who cares.
Here's what has been observed.  Today while being alone on a subway car with one teenager, he glanced my way (rule breaker), I guess deciding I was harmless (am I? yes).  He then put his backpack down and started doing pull-ups from the middle bars on top of the train.  I wondered, would I do that if there were only one random person there to see?  Then I remembered I wouldn't do a pull-up if I was alone so of course I wouldn't.  I had been singing along with music before he got closer so la la la, I'd do that.
Yesterday I took the bus.  A man came on with a cat carrier and as soon as the bus started the cat started meowing.  This must have been a professional cat because it was clearly annunciating the word "MEOW."  Everytime the owner looked in the case the meows stopped and as soon as he lowered it again, "MEOW!!!"  I looked around.  No one said a word.  No one cracked even the smallest smile. No eye contact.  Do NOT acknowledge that someone just loudly meowed.  Meowing counts as communicating and is therefore breaking the rules of public transportation.  Shame on that cat!  Take his metrocard!  Eventually the guy sat down and put that cat on his lap and then no more meowing.  So I was amused by the cat but the people....now that is fascinating.  Those are big time New Yorkers and law abiding citizens!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Squirrel?

 

What are you looking at?
 
Squirrels are everywhere!  Run for your lives!  Actually, don't bother because if you scare them,  all they do is freeze as if we are dumb enough to think "hey that squirrel isn't moving, it must be a statue of a squirrel, guess I'll just keep on walking."  Well, listen squirrels, (as far as I know there are no squirrels reading this blog, if you are a squirrel, please leave a comment) you don't have to bother to freeze because I don't want anything from you anyway.  What do these squirrels think we are going to do to them? I don't want acorns.  I don't eat squirrels. Do they think I'm a dog and I am going to chase them?

 Anyone that is not a squirrel just looks the same to them?  I don't want to chase them. Not sure why these squirrels think they are so desirable.  I think squirrels are kind of arrogant. Don't you?

"I think I'm cooler than I really am and cooler than you."

I do, by the way, think they are cute, as long as I don't look at their creepy little hands.  Scary creepy hands.  I like the cute bushy-tailed ones in NY.  The ones in Florida have smaller tails.  For a while I thought there were sick squirrels all over Florida until I realized they must just be a different kind of squirrel. 

Speaking of Florida squirrels, I wonder every time we have a big storm where the squirrels and other animals go.  I do generally stay away from the windows during hurricanes (especially since two of them exploded during hurricane Wilma) but I have never seen any squirrels fly by during a storm.  I guess they go underground but where are these squirrel bunkers?  Do they have canned acorns in there?  and a tv?  Is this also safe for zombie apocolypse or nuclear war?  Maybe the next time I see a frozen squirrel pretending to be a statue I will ask him where his bunker is and if I can go there during the next storm.  Maybe I should start collecting acorns for payment.
 
"Get your own bunker! hmmph!!!"

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanking a blog: Thank you blog!

I am thankful for many things but I am going to blog about being thankful for this blog.  I follow many other blogs and many are about real life.  I know that this must be cleansing to do but my decision was to make this blog not about my life but just the little things that occur within it.  I get enough real life all day long so I decided to use the blog to pinpoint things that make me feel good.  On some days, it is hard to think of a topic but I work with children and one thing I always ask them is "tell me something nice about your day."  So this blog is often my answering that same question.  Even if it wasn't a good day or it was just a "typical day" (my students always tell me that), I strive to find something that I can write about that will help me focus on the positive.  I couldn't think of anything the other day but wound up reminiscing about paper fans and water fountains (and later discussing this with my husband and sister) because the bright point of that day was my conversation with my friend Marla about air conditioning and us laughing at my ridiculously dramatic story of my "tough times" growing up without it.  I blog about my bunnies because they bring joy to myself and my husband and on any day, they do something that can make me laugh.  Plus, they are always staring at me so if I can't think of anything, it just gets awkward. (She's staring at me right now.) The blog about my grandmother's art, well, that one made a few people cry but in the way of bringing fond memories about someone who deserves to be remembered in that way.  The other day my husband asked me to blog about how good his meatloaf was but I refused, not wanting to write a blog on meatloaf (gee, why?) but he gets honorable mention for making delicious meatloaf, particularly when I have a lot of work to do!  I use the blog to talk about inspiration in music and lyrics because frankly, sometimes I need it and sometimes I ask people to read it because I think they do too. This blog is an opportunity to let me wonder but not worry about the big stuff, just ponder about the everyday and I love that.  Life is really interesting when you pay attention to the details. Hey, this blog started three years ago around my birthday.  I must thank this blog because every year I get tons of birthday coupons. All that free ice cream, is thanks to janisiswondering!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, including you Janisiswondering!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Is your wife hot?

On the topic of air conditioning (we weren't but I was with a friend earlier)...I must point out that I live in Florida and although it is cold almost all over the US, it's not cold here.  So broken air conditioning is a problem here even in November.  Strange but true.  Since I lived in NY most of my life, we didn't always have air conditioning.  Our house didn't have central air and our schools had no air conditioning at all.  Well, later they did in the computer labs (after schools got computers).  While writing about this topic I get the distinct feeling that I am about 100 years old.  Anyway, they did have AC at the schools here in Florida so people my age had it made down here while up north we suffered.  First of all, we had to walk to school in the snow, uphill, in both directions...wait, wasn't this about air conditioning?  OK, so in the summer, it was hot and water bottles weren't trendy (or possibly allowed...or invented) back then.  Did children even drink water in the 80's?  I know I had (and still have) a distinct fear of water fountains because you never knew when the kid behind you would bop you on the head and the water would go up your nose.  (Also, EW sharing water fountains!!!!  UGH). Whenever the class would come in from PE or recess, kids would take a piece of looseleaf paper, fold it back and forth and make a fan.  We would all sit there fanning ourselves until inevitably the teacher would say "stop fanning yourselves.  You just make yourself hotter by using the energy to move the fan."  Now, I wasn't an education major but I was a teacher for 7 years and have worked in schools for over 15 years.  This topic was not ever addressed in my education classes in college or grad school.  Now we all have air conditioning so problem solved....but I want to know the truth:  was it really making us hotter because we were expending the energy or was the teacher just finding it annoying to have all that movement and distraction?  As an aside, I am not really wondering the answer to this because as a former teacher and as someone who knows a lot of teachers.......hahahaah, I know the answer!!!!!!!  I didn't believe it then and I still don't.  Not going to use a water fountain either!!!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

why don't my bunnies have jobs?

Those two bunnies sure nap a lot.  Can't they make better use of their time?  I have repeatedly asked them to get jobs or at least clean up around the apartment while we are out and they simply ignore me. Well, recently I received these magazine clippings full of bunnies modeling and boy did I let these bunnies have it. Apparently OTHER bunnies aren't afraid to go out there and hit the big time.  I wonder how much these baby bunnies raked in.

In other news, you know what a really stupid idea would be?  Putting baby bunnies near anything expensive.  I looked at all the photos and shuttered. First of all, do people actually pay this much for purses and if they did, why would they let a bunny near it?


 Bad Idea #1
Bunnies in a Bag

 That's 7 baby bunnies that will likely pee or poop in a bag.  How did they get them to sit still for this shot?  I suspect velcro. Numbers 2 and 7 might be asleep but clearly numbers 3,4 and 5 are pissed off.  No good can come from that.  Number 1 already has 1 paw out the door....er bag and number 7's whiskers are making their way out.  I see trouble ahead.

Bad Idea #2
Chloe $2050


That dude running around the bottom of the bad is clearly about to mark his territory by pooping.  That will be followed by chinning the bag to claim it as his own, which will knock the bag over.  What's going on with the bunny on top?  Is he standing on 4 other bunnies?  He's must be planning his escape.  When that bag tips, all sorts of baby bunnies are going to fall out.

Bad Idea #3
Coach $798
The bottom bunnies are already making a run for the Coach Outlet store where you can surely get this bag for a better price.  I am sure this bag will end up in the outlet store anyway since that top bunny will be chewing on the handle in about 5 seconds.

Bad Idea #4
Michael Kors $568

Wait, is the entire bag full of bunnies and we can only three are sticking out?  How many bunnies would fit in this bag?  This doesn't seem very humane.  No, that funny guy on Project Runway wouldn't do that to the bunnies.  They must be on a pillow or something.  A pillow with a pillow case with an exceptionally high thread count (to pee on).

Bad Idea #5
Louis Vuitton $3300
Uh, I know a place in Chinatown where you can get this same bag for $40 bucks and they will throw in the rabbit for free.

Bad Idea #6
Stella McCartney $1680
While bunnies appreciate that Stella McCartney is a vegetarian, like they are, that makes the fabric all the more chewable.  I bet my bunnies could play in here and dig for hours.  This would make a great gift for that bunny you don't know what to get but you have budgeted $1680 for. That's not anybunny I know.

Bad Idea #7
Prada $2695
Even this little bunny looks offended by the price of this bag.  She's running away.  Do you know how many carrots you can but with $2695?  

Bad Idea #8
Zara $179

Wait, $179?  Look at that rabbits face?   How dare you put this bunny in a bag of such low quality!  No wonder the other two are just hiding.  They are ashamed to show their faces but it's hard to hide those big ears.  This bag will be peed on, for sure.

Bad Idea #9
Smythson $2695

I don't even think they bothered waiting.  These two are already chewing the crap out of this bag, while the photo is being taken. It's a goner.  They will not be hired back for the next bunny ad campaign.  They can stay home and nap like Squirtford and McFlurry.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Music as inspiration #2


 

Told you it would always be Howard Jones!   TOLD YOU!!!! (you owe me a dollar). Speaking of, yesterday was my lucky music day.  I heard Howard Jones (Things Can Only Get Better) in the car and then at lunch I heard Erasure (A Little Respect), the Beatles (Penny Lane) and Matthew Sweet (Sick of Myself) AND THEN (yes, there's more!) I went grocery shopping and heard Howard Jones again (What I Love?)!!!  I felt so lucky that I bought a lotto ticket!  That is where my luck ran out though.  Oh well.

Here's today's song. Listen on this youtube link:

Respected


I listen to this song almost every day.  It's sort of haunting.  I usually listen to this when I go to sleep.  I have tried meditation but I am really not good at it.  I liked guided meditations.  You know like "Picture yourself on a boat on a river..."  Oh wait, that's not a meditation but you know what I mean.  Anyway, I like the positive message meditation rather than the just not thinking, empty your mind kind.  When I empty my mind, I start thinking about how much my nose itches and how I am not supposed to think about nose itches.  It gets me nowhere.  So I like to listen to reaffirming words and therefore, this song is a win for me.  It's a positive message with a tune that sticks with me and no matter how many times I hear it, or read it, it still grabs me.  Different parts of the song mean more to me on some days than others.

My interpretation of it is that while you have loved ones around you, they can support you but ultimately, it is your heart, your thoughts, your perspective that decides how your life unfolds.  Those negative thoughts and feelings that sometimes get stuck in your head, you can shed them, you can leave them behind but you have to choose to.  Maybe you can't change the events going on around you or control certain aspects of your life but you can change your world from the inside, the way that you are viewing and interpreting it.  I have a feeling that the lesson in this song takes a lifetime to learn and implement.  Sometimes I am frustrated when I'm not able to do this.  Then I remember that this is basically Howard Jones' message in his music from the 80's until now so I guess he continues to work on this as well.  It's not something to achieve and move on.  It's something to achieve and continue to achieve.


and here are the lyrics:
Respected
 
Here in the dark, the shadows, they haunt me,
Here in the shade, oh the bright lights, they blind me

Yesterday is gone, time for moving on,
Here's a brand new start, gonna base it on my heart,
It's another day, I've got to find a better way,
Won't you help me?

Failing that,
If you have to go,
It's all up to me, I know

I just wanna change my world,
But from the inside,
I just wanna live my life,
And make this place, make this time,
For all our lives to be,
Respected

Here in the cold, light of day, this vision,
Paints a different world, a world of the heart,
And I'd like to live there

I've been on the run, from all the people I've become,
I want to shed this skin, and start it all again,
I want to draw a line, in the sand for one last time,
Will you help me?

Failing that,
If you have to go,
It's all up to me I know

I just wanna change my world,
But from the inside,
I just wanna live my life,
With some hope, and to do what's right,
I just wanna change this world,
And make this place, make this time,
For all our lives to be,
Respected

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

not wondering today.

Yeah, I got nothing.  I had a sort of sucky day so I decided to post this picture.
 
I didn't create this but I wish I did.  Booplesnoot! tee hee

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Art as inspiration #1

Here's a lovely painting in my living room. (the color of the photo is a bit off)

I don't often get to see scenes like this since I moved to South Florida.  OK, who am I kidding, even when I lived in New York I only went skiing one time and I skied into a building.  To be fair, why was there a building in the middle of the bunny slope?  I digress.  The painting is a pretty landscape.  Do you think the artist was observing and painting on a slope? or an avid skier?  My guess is no...because this painting was made by my grandmother Goldie Goldstein, who did not ski.  Often paintings she made would have a newspaper clipping or magazine picture nearby or glued on back, that showed what inspired the painting. This one doesn't so I don't know where the inspiration came from but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with the Catskills Mountains, which she loved.  Here is what I do know.  This is a great painting! Have you ever tried to paint?  It's HARD!!!!!  I've tried and wow, it is tough.  In this painting, the proportions look right, the strokes of paint make it feel 3-D, the shading gives the illusion of hills and I can almost feel the cold looking at it!  I can remember how snow looks being stuck to the trunk of the tree and how when snow is on the ground, the whole world sounds quieter and more peaceful.
So I can't paint.  I love art though and I think I am good at appreciating it.  I have made random things that I liked afterwards but not to the level of my grandma's paintings.  So, this post is supposed to be about art as inspiration.  Here's my inspiration:  She saw beauty in nature.  She used to talk about finding pretty wild flowers by the side of the road and driftwood at the beach.  She had a little project where she put a piece of foil behind a piece of blue glass, giving the illusion of water moving and then glued seashells on it.  How did she think of that?  She saw beauty and made beauty, observed it, recreated it and found peace in it.  I think of her every Sunday when I watch the "moment of nature" on Sunday Morning.
Sometimes when I feel stressed I sit on my patio and look at the blue sky.  When I want a calming thought, I picture sitting under a giant tree in thick grass with purple wildflowers around me. So I built myself a little zen garden on my balcony so I can see more nature and more colors.  I put some live plants inside my living room and my wonderful husband buys me flowers most Friday nights so I can actually breathe nature in.  I think I breathe the colors in too.  I try to anyway.  I'm being inspired by all of these things: grandma, the art in my DNA, nature and the memories that go into pieces of artwork that can live on and be appreciated forever.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

#I don't get twitter

I don't want to sound like I am totally out of it but you know that thing called twitter?  I don't get it.  I joined it but then I didn't add anyone I know because I figured I can already see what they are saying on facebook. So then I added a bunch of news sources-which isn't very helpful since I watch Brian Williams almost religiously (but really get my info. from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert).  Then I added a bunch of "housewives" of various places who basically retweet how much people love them. Actually, their tweets make me like them and their shows less.  I added a bunch of celebrities but although I love Russell Crowe, I am not really interested in his daily exercise routine.  I don't care how many kilometers he walked because I am an American and don't know what a kilometer is.  Every once in a while I tweet something important.  A couple of weeks ago I tweeted to win a reading from the Long Island Medium.  I didn't win.  I thought my twitter feed was so #boring that I joined a whole bunch of anything I can think of.  Then I few people started following me.  I think they wanted me to buy something?  I felt obligated to post something so I retweeted a giant angora bunny picture from George Takai. 
So, what am I missing?  Was I supposed to look for my friends?  Am I supposed to search by hashtags?  Was it always called a hashtag or did twitter invent that?  What happened to "pound sign"?I have to say, that I do feel a bit left out on the # thing.  I kind of want to put them on my facebook updates or in sarcastic conversation. 
The twitterverse is huge and I am missing out!!!  I don't get it! Anyone? #help #missingout #yeahforhashtags #bunniesruledogzdrool #McFlurry #Squirtford #gotthatoutofmysystem #veryannoyingtotypewithnospaces

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Pavlov's bunnies?

Thank you Squirtford for stepping in while I had a busy weekend.  That Squirtford, he's a stand up guy.  Keeping up with the Squirt theme, I thought I'd share my scientific findings from my bunnies.  Here is the setting- each morning the bunnies get pellets for breakfast.  The pellets are brown but there are some red pellets mixed in, but not many.  The rabbits LOVE the red ones.  My husband and I wonder how/why the red are so much better.  We don't wonder enough to try them though.  Anyway, I always tell them that they shouldn't eat all the red ones right way.  "Spread it out and save some for later" but they never listen and they pick out all the good ones.  I can't even figure out how they find them.  Their eyes are on the sides of their heads so they can't see in the bowl.  Their little sniffers are that powerful!?!!?!!  When they are gone from the top of the bowl, Squirt sticks his feet in and digs until he finds more.  Many brown pellets fly....  Anyway, that is the routine.
I noticed last week that Squirt wasn't jumping over to eat the pellets right away.  I kept wondering if he was sick or had a toothache but I saw him eat at other points in the day so I was just keeping an eye on him (I also put a nose on him but you know that story already).  I kept wondering why he wasn't hurrying to eat the red ones (and by the way, McFlurry is like a little food vacuum with no mercy.  You snooze you lose!). 
Yesterday I got the missing clues to this case.  I noticed Squirt jumped on the shelf when he heard the pellets.  That's the wrong direction!  How strange.  In the evening I mentioned this to my husband who then told me that whenever he gives them pellets, he picks a few red ones out for Squirtford and feeds them to Squirt, who is sitting on the shelf!!!!  AHA!
Mystery solved.  The sound of pouring pellets makes Squirt jump up to the shelf expecting red pellets!  I didn't know!  He didn't tell me (he could have at least mentioned it on the blog this weekend!).
Well, this morning I felt all cool.  Now I know the drill and all.  So I open the door, take out the bowl and pour the pellets, picking out a few for Squirtford....but Squirt didn't go on the shelf.  He just stood there facing me...staring.....until I gave him his red pellets.  Yikes!!!! Conclusion:  I don't know but give Squirt his pellets!!!!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Guest blogger: Squirtford

Food Dispenser #1 is busy doing whatever it is she does so I decided to step in and blog for the weekend.  First of all:  Hi!  I'm Squirtford.  I'm the boy bunny with the short fur.  My sister McFlurry is rather silly and always wanting to snack or escape.  I am more of the serious type.  I like red pellets (if you read my nose when it goes up and down, it says "pellets, pellets, pellets), morning nose pets, staring at my wall and hiding in towels, paper bags and boxes.  I often jump on top of the box and the Food Dispensers say "yes Squirtford?" Then my nose tells them what snack I want but they don't seem to understand me.  It's a bit frustrating.
Anyway, I have had such a crazy weekend.  You would not believe what they have put me through!  First of all, during the week is when I can relax because the humans are always rushing off to go make hay money so it's nice and quiet.  For some reason though, FD #1 stayed home on Friday.  So this seriously cut into my normal schedule of napping, eating, drinking, pooping, staring at nothing, licking McFlurry, etc.  FD kept talking to me!  Then she said she had a "surprise" for us and showed me some weird glasses.  I decided to ignore all that and ask for red pellets.  All seemed fine until...SATURDAY!
Here's how it happened.  First FD#1 put me on the couch.  Usually she does that when she wants to cuddle and give me snacks.  Well this time, she said she was going to take my picture.  I wasn't prepared for this so I started the grooming process.  Luckily I groom myself every 5-10 minutes so not much needed to be done.


When I was done, she tried to put glasses on me so I tried to attack them.  She wanted me to sit still so she called FD #2 over and he held me down and they took this picture of me!  Can you believe it?
 




Don't I look grumpy?  That's is a very long and ungroomed moustache so I was pretty unhappy.  I'm all about short neat fur so I attacked the glasses like this:
 



They offered me raisins, my favorite snack but I wouldn't eat it.  FD #1 knew I was so mad at her.  I never turn down raisins so she knew she was in big trouble.  I think she felt very very guilty....but not guilty enough to spare McFlurry!  McFlurry never wants to sit still so FD #2 held her down right away.  She didn't care too much.  She's used to unruly long hair so it wasn't much of a stretch for her.
 



She did try to free her nose though.  You can't hold a bunny's nose down!
 



Since she's naughty, she attacked the glasses too but she accepted her snacks.  She's not as serious about principles as I am.
Today however, we got revenge.  When the Food Dispensers weren't looking, I did this!  Take that Pina! I'm a bunny so I don't know how to put the ~ on top of the n.  Whatever, I have put you in the silly glasses and spelled your name wrong! ha!!!
 



  Otherwise, today I was spared of all this craziness but they did vacuum which always puts me in a bad mood.  I forgive them now though and am ready to accept red pellets from them.  Gotta go tell them.  Bye!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

What inspires you?

I am so bummed. Oh wait, this post is about not being bummed.  OK, I am not going to be bummed then.  I wanted to post about a specific song I like but I have spent an hour searching online for the video and it is nowhere to be found.  I wanted to post it because it is an inspirational song and I know a lot of people going through some serious issues right now.  Maybe it's mercury retrograde.  I have no idea what that means though.  Just when a bunch of bad stuff happens people always say that's why or that it's a full moon....sometimes they just say "sh*t happens".   Well, I am certainly not equipped to write a blog about why crappy things happen.  Anyway, it's sad that I can't feature it or put it on my facebook.  The song was supposed to be Fight On by Howard Jones but maybe another time.
Any song featured on here will likely be Howard Jones. I have told my husband that the Aramaic part of our marriage contract states that he will listen to Howard Jones daily for the rest of our lives.  It could.  I mean, I can't read it either. Here's a background of our relationship.  Oh, not my marriage, my relationship with HoJo music.  I saw him in concert after obsessing over the Everlasting Love video in 1989.  Then I bought all his albums and here we are 2013.  I initially liked the cool synthesizers, his quirky style and the happy lyrics.  Unknowingly, the catchy tunes were full of advice that I would personally need in the future.  So I have now found song after song that inspires me and I play them for myself like musical mantras.
I am surprising myself by picking Tomorrow Is Now.  I didn't even notice the lyrics for the longest time.  I just thought it sounded like a happy uplifting song.  Recently I heard it and thought about the fact that the whole song is about letting go of what weighs you down and stops you from going for what you want and just live the life you want right now.  Just go for it. Actually recently I realized that most of his songs have been telling me that for 25 years. There's even a song about the fact that he has been saying this all along and if you didn't take his advice, he's not giving up on telling us (Just Look At You Now.)
So I hope you enjoy.  If the mercury retrograde has got you, or whatever is happening in your life has gotten to you, remember to look for inspiration around you.  I would love to know what inspires you, songs or otherwise....

Tomorrow Is Now

Tomorrow Is Now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
You think the past is behind you
But baby, what's that on your back?
It looks to me like you're draggin' it around
Like a heavy pack
Now we don't live in the present
We're too busy hangin' on
To what's been and gone
So it comes again singin' the same old song
Singin' na na na na na
Let it go, oh, oh
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
What are you going to ask for?
What are you going to create?
It's in you hands to build your own world
Forget about fate
And I don't need to remind you
Life is short and life is sweet
And before you even know it
Past and future gonna meet
Oh, every day and every way
Good to go, oh, oh
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Not much to say
It's all been said anyway
Not much to think about
Just let go of yesterday
Singin' na na na na na
Singin' na na na na na
Let it go oh oh
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Tomorrow is, tomorrow is now
Songwriters
JONES, HOWARD / BASSETT, DAVE RICHARD / WIEDLIN, JANE
Published by
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., KOBALT MUSIC PUB AMERICA INC, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY


Saturday, October 19, 2013

I wonder what I should wonder about?

Hello All,
I am not able to commit to posting every day or on any particular schedule.  Unfortunately, my most bloggable thoughts usually occur to me while I am stuck in traffic.  Although I do often find myself driving 5 mph, I have decided against putting the laptop on my steering wheel and blogging while driving. Come to think of it, there is insane driving in Miami so maybe the other drivers ARE blogging?
Anyway, I was thinking about blog topics.  Inspired by Christie of www.ChristieCottage.blogspot.com, I started wondering if I should go for a schedule of themes to help me choose a topic. That leads to the question of what themes I could come up with. Of course my first thought was "Taco Tuesdays" but I don't really have much to say about that and to be honest, I don't always eat tacos on Tuesdays. (Also, I'm not sure why I said "of course" because what made that so obvious??)  Anyway, I know I would like to cover the following subjects: bunny stories, songs and lyrics that inspire and art (made by either myself or someone else that I can spotlight.  I haven't made anything in a while though so mostly it will be the art of others). Otherwise, I think just whatever randomness strikes my fancy.  Can anyone think of any other good themes?  If my sister ever reads this blog (shame on you), I am fairly sure she will think of our themes that we made up to make subway rides more interesting.  However, I am not sure how crazy hat day will pan out on a blog...
Any thoughts?

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

What are these two up to?

Since I work with children, I am amused by many things that are said to me during the day.  I wish I wrote them all down because I would have a hilarious book by now.  When I meet a new student, I always ask them about their pets and usually show them a picture of mine.  Seriously, everyone likes a good bunny picture.  Actually, seriously, not really everyone, but most people do and certainly most kids.  Today I showed a picture of my bunnies on a couch.  There was a towel with a box on it.  The towel is because they shed so much and they love the box.  I sit on the other side of the couch (no towel needed and I am not interested in running in and out of a box).   They have their spot and I have mine. They really don't jump off the couch.  I sit there and pet them, they play, McFlurry tries to escape, that's the routine.  Here's what happened the other day when I got up for a minute to get something.
 
So, while there is the temptation to think that bunnies don't know rules or understand anything, I am pretty sure they know what they are supposed to do because it takes about 5 seconds for them to do the opposite of what you want!  Those two were clearly claiming my spot!!!!
When I showed this picture to my student today, her eyes got very big and she said with excitement "So bunnies are NAUGHTY!!!!"  haha!  So much cuteness mixed with bad bunny behavior?  Irresistable!!!  Another bunny fan has been created!  

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Happy birthday Blog!

Happy birthday blog!  I realized by the ridiculous amount of emails from places I don't shop at, that I must wish this blog a happy birthday!  Thanks to this blog, I got two free pumpkin spice lattes (the first time, she asked if it was my actual birthday and when I said yes, she gave it to me on the house without using the code) .  Cold Stone Creamery is in my near future.
I wasn't that into this birthday.  I generally like them but I have, of late, noticed an irritating correlation between birthdays and the fact that my age keeps going up.  So I decided to protest my birthday (ok, I was still planning on the latte and ice cream) but then I remembered a few important facts:
1. Those who do not have birthdays anymore are not alive.  If given a choice, I would choose to age gracefully (or try to)  rather than kick the bucket.
2. People around me look forward to my birthday.  My husband was busy planning and writing cards, people were wishing me well and I made my mom and a friend of mine feel awkward by saying I didn't like my birthday this year.  They had no idea if they should say something about it or not.  Oops.
3.  I work with kids.  Kids love birthdays.  I didn't really mention anything to the adults around me but I did tell me students and they thought it was very exciting (yet disappointing that I wasn't having a theme party).
4. My husband got me a Baskin Robbins birthday cake- enough said.

So happy birthday and happy weekend and happy everything.  I just remembered that we should be celebrating anything we can because that is the fun stuff!  I can't believe I almost missed it!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

where's my car?

So my home has one parking spot but since we have two cars, whoever gets home first gets a guest spot so the person getting home later doesn't have to search and search.  Sadly, I seem to have a real issue with remembering where I park in the morning, especially if I am running late (which happens 5 of the 7 days a week). If I am on the phone when I park, I'm really in trouble.  Well, this week they closed the lot where I work.  We had to park on the street. The first day, when I parked, I heard some dog barking and then as I walked, I turned around and realized I was being chased down the street by a Chihuahua.  It startled me so much that I jumped...into a puddle.  Do you know that at the end of the day, I walked to the wrong block?  When I said to the security guard that I forgot where I parked he said "remember the Chihuahua?"  Oh yeah.  Maybe I was so traumatized by being chased and then having wet feet that I blocked the whole episode out?  I did better the rest of the week but seriously, why is it so hard to find a car?  Does this happen to everyone? (the car part not the Chihuahua chasing you).

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

what is this seasoning?

Happy Fall.  (Yes, I realize it started a few weeks ago).  Fall in South Florida is a bit of a mental challenge.  I know that I have lived here for over a decade but since I spent the first 20 something years of my life in New York, I still can't quite wrap my mind around fall in Florida.  I taught preschool for 7 years.  Have you ever tried to teach the seasons to preschoolers?  First you explain that the season is called fall because the leaves fall from the trees....except no they don't, so you have to then add "in other places." over and over again.  Anyway, it's a challenge to feel fallish when it is about 85-90 degrees every day and rains almost daily.  Maybe I should have explained fall as the season that raindrops fall all over you?  Oops.  Here's what does happen though....school gets into full swing and a routine starts and I bribe myself to stay awake midday with a pumpkin latte from Starbucks at least twice a week.  I secretly eye my scarves and sometimes put them on in the morning...and then think about how hot that will be and put them back until November (December?). Oh, and my email is full of coupons and free ice cream because three years ago I started this blog with the quest of getting as much free junk out of my birthday as possible.  That is still paying off!  I did have one important fall discovery today though. One of my patio trees had a bunch of yellow leaves falling off of it!!!  This is very very exciting!!  Fall foliage...next to a pineapple plant.  That is sooo this season!!



Saturday, September 28, 2013

Hello???? (insert echo here)

So, if you let three years go by between posts, how do you catch up?  Luckily, this blog was never really about my life in the first place so there isn't that much to catch up on.  So, it's later the same life....  That nice boyfriend that I used to mention is now my nice husband.  We have had some pet changes.  Both Cuby and Oafie died in 2012.  That was really tough.  Cuby was like 100 years old though.  I mean, in bunny years, he was literally about 100 years old.  Oafie died a few months later.  The doctor said, of a "broken heart."  That made me feel terrible.  A couple of months later we got our new friends Squirtford and McFlurry.  I am sure I will feature them at some point.  Right now I just spent 30 minutes grooming them, so I'm not speaking to them.
Anyway, so three years....I don't even understand how to use blogger anymore.  Do people even blog anymore?  Hasn't anyone invented some chip that you insert into your ear and it automatically uploads blog-worthy thoughts and transmits them to everyone on twitter?  Wow, what an awful idea.  If anyone ever reads this and is tech-savvy, please don't do that.
By the way, I started this blog almost exactly three years ago.  I was initially blogging about all the free stuff I was going to get for my birthday and that is just a few weeks away again....and I will still be reaping the benefits of that quest from 3 years ago!  Blogger says that the blog had 30 followers in 2010 so if anyone is still out there, please leave a comment and say hello!